Abstracts of Magazine FUJITSU 2008-3 (VOL.59, NO.2)

Special Issue: Environment

• Fujitsu Group’s Environmental Activities

The Fujitsu Group has been conducting a variety of environmental activities, thinking that environmental management is one of the most important issues as the corporate value. And the environmental activities have been promoted in all of the business division under the slogan, "We Make Every Activities Green". Moreover, from December 2007,Fujitsu Group started a new project called Green Policy Innovation to address recent environmental global issues. This project aims to reduce the environmental burdens of customers through our Green IT. This paper introduces the framework of the Fujitsu Group's environmental policy and gives an overview of the Group’s environmental management and activities.

• Fujitsu Group Environmental Management System

Global warming and the diminishing levels of non-renewable resources are now serious problems. These problems make it necessary to reinforce environmental regulations and provide our customers with products and software that have a lower environmental impact. Therefore, in fiscal 2004, the Fujitsu Group created its own environmental management system (EMS) as an infrastructure for achieving these goals. We then expanded the EMS to a global scale in order to improve the sharing of information and communication within the Group and systematically collect the information needed to run the EMS. This paper describes the organization and activities of Fujitsu Group EMS.

• Fujitsu Group Activities for Green Procurement

The harmonious coexistence of economic and environmental activities is essential for realizing a sustainable society. For this reason, businesses must advance their environmental activities that result in economic development. Given the RoHS directive and REACH regulation enacted in the EU, as well as worldwide trends toward stricter legislation governing hazardous chemical substances, businesses must also enhance the management of included chemical substances throughout the entire gamut of the supply chain. In view of this situation, the Fujitsu Group devised the "Environmental Protection Program (Stage V)" in April 2007 and also initiated green procurement activities according to this program. Two major goals have been set for these activities: 1) helping suppliers achieve a more sophisticated Environmental Management System (EMS) and 2) establish a Chemical substances Management System (CMS). This paper gives an overall picture and describes the current status of the Fujitsu Group’s green procurement activities.

• Developing More Super Green Products and Achieving Eco-efficiency Factor

The Fujitsu Group has promoted the development of eco-friendly products by conducting environmental assessments since 1993. In line with the latest Fujitsu Group Environmental Protection Program (Stage V) launched in fiscal 2007, we have been working on two programs to improve the environmental values of our products. The first program aims to increase the number of Super Green Products with top-class environmental characteristics, which have been created since the previous stage IV (fiscal 2004 to 2006). In order to achieve this goal, we have expanded the scope of developing Super Green Products across our group companies. The second program that introduces the eco-efficiency factor as our new approach strives to double eco-efficiency of new products as compared to the products in fiscal 2005 by the end of fiscal 2009. Both approaches are aimed not only at reducing environmental impact throughout the entire product lifecycle, but also to offer customers high-performance products. This paper illustrates our promotion activities, cites examples of Super Green Products, and describes the efforts being made toward achieving the eco-efficiency factor.

• Fujitsu's Approach to Environmental Protection Using "PRIMERGY" PC Server

IT equipment now accounts for about 5% of the total electric power consumed in Japan, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry predicts that the total power consumed by IT equipment will increase about fivefold over 2006 levels by 2025. Unlike in other industries where trends are seen toward saving energy, only IT-related industries are exhibiting the opposite trends concerning power consumption. Moreover, enterprise customers are paying more attention to saving energy from a business standpoint, since energy savings for PC servers will in turn reduce data center operating costs, such as for air-conditioning and electric power. In line with such market trends, Fujitsu has been active in saving energy for PC servers in the office. This paper introduces the latest energy saving technology, citing the example of the PRIMERGY TX120 that has achieved the highest level of energy savings in the industry.

• Research and Development of Bioplastics and Application to Products

Increasing levels of CO₂ emissions from the consumption of such fossil resources as oil and coal have contributed to global warming accelerating at an unprecedented rate. Efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions are now urgently needed. In view of this situation, environment-friendly bioplastics that emit less CO₂, are attracting greater attention as an alternative energy source to oil, a limited source of energy. Since the 1990s, Fujitsu has focused on developing bioplastics made from biomass and successfully developed flame retardant and polymer alloy technologies for a bioplastic based on polylactide resin made from corn. This material has been used in notebook computers since spring 2005. Fujitsu also developed a soft bioplastic made from polyamide 11 (based on castor beans) that has been used in notebook computers since spring 2007. This paper describes the technologies developed for plant-based plastics and the results of assessing their life cycle.

• Development and Application of Photocatalyst Titanium Apatite

Calcium hydroxyapatite—Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ (CaHAP)—is an inorganic component of teeth and bones. The application of CaHAP is expected in such medical treatment materials as artificial bones and tooth roots. It can also be used in a wide variety of adsorbents, chemical sensors, and catalyst materials. Titanium oxide is an optical semiconductor material that absorbs light energy equivalent to the band gap between the valence band and conduction band, and thus generates the hydroxyl radical having strong oxidation power. The hydroxyl radical facilitates the full oxidation and dissolution of organic substances into water and carbon dioxide. Ongoing research on commercial uses of titanium oxide has been conducted for environmental purification, such as in antimicrobial tiles and home air cleaner filters using the photocatalyst effects of titanium oxide. However, titanium oxide lacks sufficient adsorptive power against organisms. We have developed "titan apatite," a new and optically functional material that offers both strong adsorptive power and the photocatalyst function of titanium oxide.

• Management of Chemical Substances Contained in Products

The Fujitsu Group has promoted such progressive activities as the new development of lead-free solder for managing restrictions on hazardous substances contained in products ever since the EU's RoHS directive was enacted in 2003. In recent years, RoHS-like regulations have also been enforced in Japan, China, and South Korea, along with a trend toward new regulations being enacted in various countries and regions such as North America. As a result, there are growing restrictions being imposed worldwide on hazardous substances in products. The scheme to systematically ensure and promote the "non-containment" of restricted substances is very important in order to properly comply with worldwide regulations governing the restricted substances in products. This paper introduces our internal organization, management method, and other specific measures that have been established to address restrictions on hazardous substances in products, with regard to the "management of chemical substances contained in products" that we have been advancing.

• Fujitsu Group Activities for Global Product Recycling

In line with a domestic environmental movement aimed at zero emissions and the recycling of waste products, Fujitsu in December 1998 became the first company in the industry to establish a recycling system in Japan (known as the Fujitsu recycling system). This was a scheme whereby Fujitsu Group collects waste products from industrial users for disposal and recycling. We began a recycling operation by setting up Fujitsu recycling centers in five bases nationwide, with Fujitsu Logistics Ltd. in charge of customer relations. We now offer a recycling service as a certified, wide-area waste disposal agent under the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, and have established a scheme to collect waste products from both industrial and individual users. Moreover, we launched a recycle scheme overseas from 2002, and have implemented recycling services through seven bases in the US, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, and Singapore until December 2007.

• Approach for Environmental Burden Reduction by ICT

The Kyoto Protocol obliges Japan to reduce its CO₂ emissions by more than 12% of its 1990 emission level. However, for 2006, a quick estimation shows that Japan's CO₂ emissions actually increased by 6.4% of the 1990 level. Especially, CO₂ emissions generated from commerce and offices drastically increased by 41.7% of the 1990 level. To cope with this problem, Fujitsu considers it effective to reduce paper usage and the transportation of people, goods, and resources by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions. Also, in 2004, we introduced a system for recognizing solutions that reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 15% as "Environmentally Conscious Solutions." This system promotes system engineers and business people to change their awareness of environmental burden reduction. Furthermore, our customers have commended the certification labels we attach to our products. This paper describes the background and outline of the Environmentally Conscious Solutions system. It also describes examples of solutions having this recognition and the effects of their application. Lastly, it describes the circumstance surrounding activities to standardize methods for evaluating environmental burden reduction.

• Solutions Supporting Environmentally Conscious Business

Many companies have promoted environmental activities to satisfy regulatory compliance and voluntary targets over legislation. Moreover, regulations governing chemicals contained in products have recently been reinforced in Europe. Exporting companies and their suppliers are now required to meet such regulations. At the same time, some of those companies consider environmentally conscious products a competitive factor. With the expansion of environmentally conscious business and its increased workload, companies are expected to introduce solutions for making such expanded business more efficient, and create a structure utilizing environmental information for business management. This paper describes the functions required and the effects of introducing such solutions for environmentally conscious business as divided into the fields of: 1) environmental management systems, 2) support for activities to reduce environmental impact at the plants and offices, and 3) support for its reducing activities with product development.

• Fujitsu Group Activities for Global Warming Countermeasures

In the Kyoto Protocol, between 2008 and 2012, Japan is committed to reducing its average emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by 6% of its 1990 emission level. However, in fiscal 2005, Japan's GHG emissions actually increased by 7.8% of the 1990 level. In Japan, industry is responsible for about 65% of the nationwide CO₂ emissions originating from energy consumption, and a strengthening of current activities is required in the electronics and IT industries. In fiscal 2007, the Fujitsu Group started its Environmental Protection Program (Stage V) to reduce its overall CO₂ emissions. This paper looks at manufacturing processes that are or will become a problem in terms of CO₂ emission. It also describes the CO₂ reduction activities that have been taken by the office and facilities sections of the Group.

• Fujitsu Activities for Green Logistics

Pursuing environmental preservation in the logistics sector is urgently requested not only of logistics companies but also of manufacturers in line with Japan's Revised Energy Conservation Law enacted in April 2006. We are strengthening efforts toward mitigating environmental impact throughout the entire supply chain with the challenging goal of "achieving a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions associated with transport from the level in fiscal 2000 by the end of fiscal 2010." This also represents the top-level target industry-wide. This paper introduces our activities toward achieving the target and cites such specific cases as the reduction of CO₂ emissions with consolidated vehicle assignment control from parts procurement to finished product delivery for the Tokyo metropolitan area that has proceeded under the framework of a modal shift and the Green Logistics Partnership Model project.

• Reducing Environmental Burden of Factories -Green Factory Activities-

To promote symbiosis with local communities, the Fujitsu Group has initiated environmental activities based on a rigorous voluntary framework for conforming to various environment-related laws and regulations about factory operation. Although the factories of the Group face different environmental problems due to changes in the structure of society and corporations, we have always focused our efforts on environmental activities based on the concept of business sites. This paper introduces some of these environmental activities, for example, activities for reducing waste and chemical substance discharges. It then outlines the new Green Factory system prescribed in the Fujitsu Group Environmental Protection Program (Stage V) and describes our voluntary activities for assuring compliance with the Fujitsu Group Environmental Policy.

• Environmental Improvement Activities in Semiconductor Factories

Semiconductor factories consume a variety of natural resources and a great deal of energy. Consequently, alleviating environmental impact, particularly with regard to hazardous substances and the reduction of CO₂ emissions, has become a crucial problem for which the market demands that the entire semiconductor industry should address. Under such circumstances, Fujitsu has introduced the Green Process and Green Factory activities that have reduced the hazardous substances being used and the energy consumed by reviewing the semiconductor manufacturing process since September 2002. As a result, Fujitsu has advanced environmental measures ahead of its competitors and achieves corporate environmental improvements through the Green Process and Green Factory activities.

• Fujitsu Group Activities for Environmental Contributions to Society

Environmental problems, particularly global warming, have reached serious levels and must be addressed immediately. Everyone needs to understand these problems in order to cooperate and take appropriate action. As members of society, Fujitsu employees have agreed to take action with local residents for contributing to the local community, protecting the natural environment, and promoting ecological education. This paper introduces the Fujitsu Group's philosophy regarding such environmental contributions, cites some examples of our activities, and describes measures for promoting relevant activities.